Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area; Apportionment of Reserve

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

50 CFR Part 675

[Docket No. 950206040-5040-01; I.D. 051595J]

Groundfish of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Area;

Apportionment of Reserve

AGENCY: National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration, Commerce.

ACTION: Apportionment of reserve.

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SUMMARY: NMFS is apportioning reserve to certain target species in the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands management area (BSAI). This action is

necessary to allow for ongoing harvest and account for previous harvest

of the total allowable catch (TAC).

EFFECTIVE DATE: 12 noon, Alaska local time (A.l.t.), June 20, 1995,

until 12 midnight, A.l.t., December 31, 1995.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Nick Hindman, 907-586-7228.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The groundfish fishery in the BSAI exclusive

economic zone is managed by NMFS according to the Fishery Management

Plan for the Groundfish Fishery of the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands

Area (FMP) prepared by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council

under authority of the Magnuson Fishery Conservation and Management

Act. Fishing by U.S. vessels is governed by regulations implementing

the FMP at 50 CFR parts 620 and 675.

The Director, Alaska Region, NMFS, has determined that the initial

TACs specified for the following species need to be supplemented from

the nonspecific reserve to continue fishing operations and account for

prior harvest: Pollock, Greenland turbot, and Pacific ocean perch (POP)

in the Bering Sea subarea (BS); pollock, Greenland turbot, POP, and

sharpchin/northern rockfish in the Aleutian Islands subarea (AI); Atka

mackerel in the combined Eastern Aleutian District and BS subarea; Atka

mackerel in the Central and Western Aleutian Island Districts; and

Pacific cod, arrowtooth flounder, and the ``other species'' category in

the BSAI.

Therefore, in accordance with Sec. 675.20(b), NMFS is apportioning

to TACs from the reserve for the following species: (1) For the BS -

93,750 metric tons (mt) to pollock, 700 mt to Greenland turbot, and 277

mt to POP; (2) for the AI - 4,245 mt to pollock, 350 mt to Greenland

turbot, 1,575 mt to POP, and 765 mt to sharpchin/northern rockfish; (3)

for the combined Eastern Aleutian District and BS - 2,025 mt to Atka

mackerel; (4) for the Central Aleutian District - 7,500 mt to Atka

mackerel; (5) for the Western Aleutian District - 2,475 mt to Atka

mackerel; and (6) for the BSAI - 37,500 mt to Pacific cod, 1,534 mt to

arrowtooth flounder, and 3,000 mt to the ``other species'' category.

These apportionments are consistent with Sec. 675.20(a)(2)(i) and

do not result in overfishing of a target species or the ``other

species'' category, because the revised TACs are equal to or less than

specifications of acceptable biological catch.

Pursuant to Sec. 675.20(a)(3)(i), the apportionments of pollock are

allocated between the inshore and offshore components: (1) For the BS -

32,812 mt [[Page 32279]] to vessels catching pollock for processing by

the inshore component and 60,938 mt to vessels catching pollock for

processing by the offshore component; (2) for the AI - 1,486 mt to

vessels catching pollock for processing by the inshore component and

2,759 to vessels catching pollock for processing by the offshore

component.

Pursuant to 50 CFR 675.20(a)(3)(iv), the apportionment of the BSAI

Pacific cod TAC is allocated 750 mt to vessels using jig gear, 16,500

mt to vessels using hook-and-line or pot gear, and 20,250 mt to vessels

using trawl gear.

In accordance with the BSAI final 1995 specifications for

groundfish (FR 60 8479, February 14, 1995), the allocation to hook-and-

line/pot gear will result in seasonal apportionments as follows: For

the period January 1 through April 30 - 80,300 mt, for the period May 1

through August 31 - 20,900 mt, and for the period September 1 through

December 31 - 8,800 mt.

This apportionment was proposed in the Federal Register (60 FR

27488, May 24, 1995) requesting public comment. The public comment

period ended on June 7, 1995, and no comments were received.

Classification

This action is taken under 50 CFR 675.20 and is exempt from review

under E.O. 12866.

Authority: 16 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.

Dated: June 14, 1995.

Richard W. Surdi,

Acting Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management,

National Marine Fisheries Service.

[FR Doc. 95-15093 Filed 6-20-95; 8:45 am]

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